For persons who engage in strenuous exercise or other activities, it has been found important to keep properly hydrated and nourished in order to prevent fatigue, illness or injury. For example, persons who engage in outdoor activities in hot or dry environments need to keep hydrated in order to prevent dehydration and possible illness. Persons engaging in outdoor activities in isolated or deserted areas, or in activities of long duration, have a need to carry liquid refreshments with them in order to stay properly hydrated during their activities.
For persons engaging in those activities requiring extensive hydration and nourishment, the method of carrying necessary refreshment liquids may be important to the enjoyment of the activity. For example, a person engaged in skiing may find it cumbersome to carry and use a canteen or water bottle while skiing, thus detracting from the enjoyment of the activity. Recently, several products have been suggested to allow liquid refreshments to be carried easily and conveniently. One such product is a reservoir-based hydration system, which allows a liquid reservoir to be worn in a manner similar to a backpack. The reservoir is part of a carrying unit that includes straps to secure it to the person's back, and a tube is attached to the reservoir to allow access to the contents of the reservoir. The person can thus drink the liquid contents of the reservoir through the tube whenever a drink is desired. By carrying the liquid in a reservoir on the back and drinking through a tube, proper hydration during activities can be achieved.
The problem with such reservoir systems is that the tube that allows the wearer to drink the liquid in the reservoir may not be suspended in a location which is accessible by the wearer during the activity. Without such accessibility, the reservoir-based hydration system may still be cumbersome in use. For example, a person engaged in a biking activity may be required to remove his or her hand from the handlebars of the bicycle in order to locate the tube and place it in the mouth, thereby exposing the rider to possible injury. A need exists to allow the tube for such reservoir-and-tube systems to be attached to a wearer in a location on the body which allows quick, easy and even "no-hands" access to the tube. Optimally, such attachment should be as lightweight as possible and capable of maintaining a solid attachment when subjected to jerking forces (e.g. during body movements or tugging).